ASHEVILLE — Coming out of high school in Brentwood, Tennessee, current Asheville Tourists’ pitcher Will Gaddis was selected in the 36th round of the 2014 MLB draft by the New York Yankees.

“It was definitely something I considered,” said Gaddis of going pro. “I wasn’t really expecting to be drafted at all at the time, but it was a great honor.”

A scholarship offer from Furman was already on the table for the 6-foot-1 right-hander when he was drafted. He decided to take it.

He made the Southern Conference All-Freshman team in 2015, and as a sophomore was selected the SoCon’s Pitcher of the Year. He was then offered a roster spot with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod League. The “Cape League” is considered the best of the college summer leagues and utilizes wooden bats to approximate the experience pitchers and hitters might face in pro baseball.

“I learned how to keep everything down and trust in my pitch, execute, and hopefully know what the outcome will be,” Gaddis said. “It built my confidence, which led to even more confidence my junior year.”

Gaddis held opponents to a 1.37 ERA that summer and helped the Red Sox to their third consecutive league crown.

After his junior year and a 9-3 record, Gaddis again was drafted. This time it was in the third round, by the Colorado Rockies, the earliest a Paladin has been selected.

“It was a lifelong dream of mine – to be drafted and able to play professional baseball, and I decided to pursue it.”

Last year, Gaddis pitched at Grand Junction, Colorado, for the Rookie-level affiliate of Rockies, who are the parent club of the Tourists. At approximately 4,500 feet, the altitude in Grand Junction is roughly 700 feet below that of Denver’s Coors Field, where the Rockies play in thin air that routinely adds home run distance to would-be fly ball outs.

“First and foremost, I was just excited to be in pro ball,” said Gaddis. "Junction is definitely a hitter’s park. Kind of going back to the Cape, it teaches you to keep everything down and make your pitches. If you elevate anything up in the zone, there’s a good chance it’s going to carry over the fence.”

Gaddis said the Rockies' organizational approach is to keep the ball low, a generally agreed approach to pitching, and one that is critical at Coors Field, and in the friendly confines of Asheville’s McCormick Field.

The Tourists head to Fluor Field to play the South Atlantic League’s Greenville Drive for a four-game set beginning May 20. It’s the same park where Gaddis played roughly a dozen home games each spring as a Paladin. “It will be kind of a little homecoming for me," he said, "which will be nice.”

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After a standout career at Furman, Will Gaddis was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the third round of the MLB draft, the earliest a Paladins player has been picked.(Photo: BART BOATWRIGHT/Staff)

“Will had an exceptional career,” said Furman coach Brett Harker. “He mastered the ability to keep his fastball down and put hitters away with his cutter. His work ethic and disposition were business-like, and he was always looking for ways to master his craft.”

Gaddis got the start for the Tourists on Saturday night against Greensboro, and although not earning a decision, he went 5 1/3 innings, the third time in four starts he had pitched at least five innings.

“For me it’s definitely about going deep into the game and saving the bullpen’s arms. That way they can be fresh for the next couple of days,” said Gaddis.